RBC HERITAGE

April 19, 2025

Maverick McNealy

Harbour Town Golf Links

Quick Quotes

Q. How would you characterize the round today?

MAVERICK McNEALY: It definitely got off to a good start today. You know the first five or six holes are the ones you've got to get on with two reachable 5s and a couple of short par-4s.

I did that, made a couple good putts, couple good pitches, and just cleaned up nicely around the hole on those par-5s.

From there, it got fun and interesting. Putter is back, which is great, after a short hiatus. Made a couple really good ones, maybe missed one or two that I wish I had. Overall, very happy with the round of golf today.

Q. Any reason why the putter is back, or is it just golf?

MAVERICK McNEALY: I switched to a new putter. It's basically the exact same thing. It's an Odyssey 22. The only thing we changed is, instead of going from a line on the back of the putter, we just did a dot right on the sweet spot of the putter on the top line. For whatever reason, I'm lining it up super square.

Last week at the Masters, I had a few short putts that I just didn't feel really comfortable with my alignment, especially starting the ball outside the hole. Tried this, was lining it up way more square, and everything inside of six feet has been coming off really nicely.

Q. After first round, kind of only 1-under, I think, and then to kind of go on this run the last two days, the biggest difference between that day and the last two?

MAVERICK McNEALY: It's interesting you mention that. I thought my best ball striking was on Thursday. I was last off. Joe Highsmith and I were bringing the flags in.

There were just a bunch of flags we couldn't get it at because the greens were so firm and crispy that first day. It was also lower humidity. So everything was just a little bit bouncier. Flush an 8-iron, and it would land five steps from the hole and roll 40, 45 feet away.

I felt like that was actually my best round of golf. I was really proud to get through that day. I knew, when things softened up a bit and I was kind of in the mix with everybody else, I could get after it a little more.

Q. I think it was before the Masters you officially entered the world top 10. I wonder if that carries any significance for you, just checking a milestone, and what it means about your consistency and where you are?

MAVERICK McNEALY: That was a really cool one because my entire career I've held the top 10 players as my benchmark of what do I need to do to improve? What are the top 10 guys doing that I'm not? How do I work on my game? What areas of my game need improvement to get there?

That being said, I'm the worst player in the top 10 right now, so I've got a long ways to go. I've got to play some really good golf to keep up with those guys. I also don't have the 10th best resume on the PGA TOUR. I still have a lot I want to do and accomplish in this game.

But it was really validating to see that number, and maybe a good week here, we can keep improving it.

Q. Did you feel different? In saying all that, did you feel different when you saw that you'd mate it in the top 10? Did you feel like a different player?

MAVERICK McNEALY: Actually, I don't feel like a different player. I feel like a different player every time I come back to a tournament, though. I feel very different than the last time I was here.

That's the cool thing about this schedule is every year you come back and get those memories of where you were last time, how you were feeling, how you were playing. This hole looks wider, this hole looks narrower based on how you're hitting it.

That's kind of my benchmark is every year that I come back to a golf course, what do I feel like has changed since then? Really not much week to week.

Hopefully, like I said, it's just a ranking. It's just a number. I want to keep improving. There's a lot of things I still want to work on in my golf game, and really grateful for the guidance of my team for showing me how to improve because that's the hardest question to solve.

Q. Forgive me for not knowing. When was the last time you were here before this year?

MAVERICK McNEALY: It was two years ago, I think. 2023, maybe '2. Actually, might be 2022 because I was hurt in '23. I actually forget. I think it was two years. Missed last year.

Q. A lot of improvement since then?

MAVERICK McNEALY: Definitely a lot of improvement. That was before I had to take my injury break. I was fighting through a torn ligament and was not hitting it the way I wanted to.

So to come back feeling great and hitting it really nice is a big change.

Q. Is there something about this area -- you obviously won down in Sea Island. I know a different time of year, but something about this area that you enjoy playing golf here?

MAVERICK McNEALY: I think I need to buy a house on the water because I play pretty well when I can see the ocean -- Torrey Pines, here, Sea Island, even Hawaii.

I don't know, I think sea level golf is something I grew up doing. I was just familiar with that heavy wind. I really do love it here. This is one of my favorite places to go, golf aside, on TOUR. So I have a lot of fun when I come here.